Integrated oral care contributes positively to the course of treatment of oncopediatric patients.

The purpose of this study was to implement a model of permanent oral health care for oncopediatric patients and to observe its effects on severe oral mucositis and subsequent treatment interruptions. We performed a quasi-experimental study in the Pediatric Department of Napoleão Laureano Hospital, in the city of João Pessoa, Brazil. A integrated oral care was implemented by a dentistry team for prevention of comorbidities, such as infections, oral pain, oral function maintenance, oral mucositis, and interventions for lesions due to severe oral mucositis. The oral comorbidities were compared before and after the implementation. The duration of severe oral mucositis (SOM) before and after the interventions and the interruptions in treatment due to SOM were the main outcome measures. Permanent oral health care reduced the duration of SOM and reduced pediatric chemotherapy interruptions due to SOM by 81.8%.Conclusion: The permanent oral health care to offer to oncopediatric patients increased surveillance regarding oral comorbidities and reduced chemotherapy interruptions due to severe oral mucositis. This care plan could be adopted anywhere around the world. What is Known: • Several studies on oral care for pediatric oncology patients, especially regarding both prevention of and treatment for oral mucositis during antineoplastic therapy, have been published. What is New: • This study describes the benefits of permanent oral care with daily oral surveillance for pediatric patients, which reduced the duration of severe oral mucositis, increased surveillance and the efficiency in diagnostic for signs of oral mucositis, enabling early intervention, and decreased chemotherapy interruptions, contributing positively to the course of treatment.

The effect of atraumatic restorative treatment on adhesive restorations for dental caries in deciduous molars.

BACKGROUND: Minimal invasive approaches to managing caries, such as partial caries removal techniques and atraumatic restorative treatment (ART), are showing increasing evidence of improved outcomes over the conventional complete caries removal. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinically and radiographically the effect of ART on restorations using restorative cement and glass ionomer cement (GIC) for dental caries in the deciduous molars of children aged between 4 and 8 years. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study design was a split-mouth, randomized, blind clinical trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six patients had 108 restorations placed with GIC (Ketac Molar Easy Mix - 3M ESPE) and 108 restorations placed with composite resin (CR) (Filtek Z250 - 3M ESPE). The restorations were assessed by means of images obtained with a digital camera and periapical radiographs at baseline and after 12 months of follow-up. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The Student's t-test, Pearson Chi-squared test, and Bonferroni paired comparison test were used to evaluate the differences in proportions and correlations between the variables. RESULTS: After 12 months of follow-up, the restorations were considered clinically successful in 89.3% of cases and radiographically successful in 80.5% of cases. There was statistical difference neither between the two restorative materials used nor between the numbers of restored surfaces. CONCLUSIONS: GIC and CR can be used successfully for restorations of one or two dental surfaces after ART.

Percepção das gestantes de João Pessoa - PB sobre a saúde bucal de seus bebês / Perception of pregnants from João pessoa - pb on the oral health of its babies

Objetivo: verificar o conhecimento das gestantes de João Pessoa sobre a saúde bucal de seus bebês. Metodologia: foram entrevistadas 80 grávidas pertencentes a 13 Unidades de Saúde da Família do Distrito Sanitário III. Utilizou-se um formulário com questões sobre mitos, prevenção, hábitos deletérios. Resultados: constatou-se que 75% das gestantes não receberam orientação sobre saúde bucal; a maioria estava bem informada quanto à primeira consulta odontológica,indicada antes do primeiro ano de vida do bebê (66,2%), aos hábitos de sucção não nutritiva, nocivos aos elementos dentários (85%) eà importância da higiene bucal precoce (86,3%). Todavia o aleitamento materno noturno de forma indiscriminada só foi identificado como risco ao desenvolvimento de lesões cariosas por 10% da amostra. O cirurgião-dentista foi responsável, apenas, por 18,9% das informações transmitidas sobre saúde bucal. Conclusão: poucas gestantes receberam algum tipo de assistência e orientação sobre saúde bucal durante o período pré-natal, contudo a maioria apresentou um razoável conhecimento sobre os fatores influenciadores da cárie dentária, principalmente sobre a importância da higiene bucal e os efeitos nocivos dos doces e dos hábitos de sucção não nutritivos.

Aim: to verify the pregnant women's knowledge, from João Pessoa city, in relation to their chidren's oral health. Methodology: the population consisted of 80 pregnant women attended at 13 Family Health Units of Sanitary District III. It was used a questionnaire about the myths, prevention and the dental behavior of the mothers, in relation to their children. The results were analyzed in the form of frequency and percentage. Results: 75% of the interviewed did not receive any information about oral health, most of them knew it was important the first dental visit before one year old (66.2%); the non nutritive sucking habit (85%) and the role of oral hygiene in the decay prevention (86.3%). But, the night breast feeding was identified as dangerous only for 10% of the sample. The dentist was the main responsible for the orientation about the baby's oral health for 18.9% of the mothers - to - come. Conclusion: few women received any kind of dental assistance or information during pregnancy; however most of all showed a reasonable knowledge about dental caries etiological factors, mainly which concerns the importance of oral hygiene and the deleterious effects of the sweets and non-nutritive sucking habits.